diff --git a/contrib/cmake/msvc/cmakeBuild.cmd b/contrib/cmake/msvc/cmakeBuild.cmd
index 5528749b..7a6c7022 100755
--- a/contrib/cmake/msvc/cmakeBuild.cmd
+++ b/contrib/cmake/msvc/cmakeBuild.cmd
@@ -249,9 +249,8 @@ if defined _TEST_ if NOT EXIST "%_BASH_%" (
 
 if NOT DEFINED _GENERATOR_       set "_GENERATOR_=%VS_CMAKE%"
 if /I "%_GENERATOR_%" == "NMake" set "_GENERATOR_=NMake Makefiles"
-if /I "%_SHARED_%" == "0"        set _LINK_="-DCMAKE_LINK=static"
 
-rem Fix up for openssl/vs 2017
+rem Fixup for openssl/vs 2017
 if /I "%_OPENSSL_%" == "openssl-1.0.1p" if /I "%_VS_%" == 2017 set _OPENSSL_ = openssl-1.1.0f
 
 call:cltest
@@ -263,6 +262,12 @@ IF DEFINED _PAUSE_   pause
 echo ---------- ZLIB building with cmake ------------------
 call:buildLib %_ZLIB_% -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%_INSTALL_%
 
+rem Fixup ZLIB.  This should be possible inside CMake
+if /I "%_MODE_%" == "static" (
+	if EXIST "%_WORK_%\%_ZLIB_%\%_CONFIG_%\zlibstaticd.lib" copy/y "%_WORK_%\%_ZLIB_%\%_CONFIG_%\zlibstaticd.lib" "%_LIBPATH_%\zlibd.lib"
+	if EXIST "%_WORK_%\%_ZLIB_%\%_CONFIG_%\zlibstatic.lib"  copy/y "%_WORK_%\%_ZLIB_%\%_CONFIG_%\zlibstatic.lib"  "%_LIBPATH_%\zlib.lib"
+)
+
 echo ---------- EXPAT building with cmake -----------------
 set "_TARGET_=--target expat"
 if /I "%_SHARED_%" == "0" (
@@ -341,7 +346,7 @@ pushd        "%EXIV_B%"
 	                      set BUILD_SAMPLES=OFF
 	if DEFINED _SAMPLES_  set BUILD_SAMPLES=ON
 
-    call:run cmake -G "%_GENERATOR_%"     -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%_CONFIG_% %_LINK_% -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%_INSTALL_% -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH=%_LIBPATH_% -DCMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH=%_INCPATH_% ^
+    call:run cmake -G "%_GENERATOR_%"     -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%_CONFIG_% -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=%_INSTALL_% -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_PATH=%_LIBPATH_% -DCMAKE_INCLUDE_PATH=%_INCPATH_% ^
               -DEXIV2_ENABLE_NLS=%_NLS_%  -DEXIV2_BUILD_SAMPLES=%BUILD_SAMPLES% ^
               -DEXIV2_ENABLE_WIN_UNICODE=%_UNICODE_% -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=%ENABLE_SHARED% ^
               -DEXIV2_ENABLE_DYNAMIC_RUNTIME=%ENABLE_DYNAMIC% ^
@@ -429,7 +434,7 @@ IF NOT EXIST "%LOB%"         7z x "%LOB_TAR%"
 if NOT EXIST "%LOB_B%"       mkdir "%LOB_B%"
 
 pushd "%LOB_B%"
-    call:run cmake -G "%_GENERATOR_%" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%_CONFIG_% %_LINK_% %* ..\..\%LOB%
+    call:run cmake -G "%_GENERATOR_%" -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=%_CONFIG_% %* ..\..\%LOB%
     IF errorlevel 1 (
         echo "*** cmake errors in %LOB% ***"
         popd
diff --git a/samples/CMakeLists.txt b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
index d7462a3a..b8d43821 100644
--- a/samples/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/samples/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ endforeach()
 
 ###################################
 
+if (MSVC)
+    link_directories(${CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX}/lib)
+endif()
+
 add_executable( metacopy metacopy.cpp ../src/utils.cpp)
 list(APPEND APPLICATIONS metacopy)
 target_link_libraries( metacopy PRIVATE exiv2lib)
@@ -85,18 +89,21 @@ list(APPEND APPLICATIONS conntest)
 # ******************************************************************************
 # remotetest application
 add_executable(remotetest remotetest.cpp)
-target_link_libraries(remotetest exiv2lib)
+target_link_libraries(remotetest PRIVATE exiv2lib)
 list(APPEND APPLICATIONS remotetest)
 
 # ******************************************************************************
 # set compiler -DEXV_HAVE_DLL when linking exiv2 dll
 foreach(application ${APPLICATIONS})
+    message(STATUS "sample: ${application}")
     if ( BUILD_SHARED_LIBS )
         target_compile_definitions(${application} PRIVATE EXV_HAVE_DLL )
     endif()
+    if( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
+        target_link_libraries( ${application} PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
+    endif()
 endforeach()
 
-
 # ******************************************************************************
 # Man page
 install( FILES exiv2samples.1 DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_MANDIR}/man1 )
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index ea666721..e1c4de6a 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -83,18 +83,14 @@ endif()
 if ( MSVC )
     target_compile_definitions(exiv2lib PRIVATE PSAPI_VERSION=1) # to be compatible with <= WinVista (#905)
 
-    if( EXIV2_ENABLE_PNG )
-        target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} )
-    endif()
-
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${LIBEXIV2_HDR} )
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${LIBCURL_HDR} )
     source_group("Header Files" FILES ${SSH_HDR} )
-    target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${ZLIB_LIBRARIES} ${CURL_LIBRARIES} ${SSH_LIBRARIES})
+    target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${CURL_LIBRARIES} ${SSH_LIBRARIES})
 else()
     # TODO: Check if this is really needed.
     if ( UNIX AND NOT FREEBSD )
-        target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE dl) # -ldl = dynamic loader used by src/version.cpp
+        target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE ${CMAKE_DL_LIBS}) # -ldl = dynamic loader used by src/version.cpp
     endif()
     target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PRIVATE Threads::Threads)
     target_link_libraries( exiv2lib PUBLIC ${CURL_LIBRARIES} ${SSH_LIBRARIES})